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Instrumented Control Column for Optionally Piloted Aircraft
Get PDFNatilus, an aerospace company that is rapid-prototyping optionally piloted aircraft (OPA) for the shipping industry, needs a system that retrieves control column position data in order to manipulate flight simulator parameters in software. At present, a universally compatible system for all aircraft does not exist. Typically, established aerospace companies will sink significant time and money into developing proprietary systems for control column data retrieval as every aircraft is unique in its layout and linkage design. However, as a startup developing their first aircraft, Natilus does not have the privilege of modifying an existing sensor system to work with their HIL Iron Bird in the simulator. To successfully simulate flight controls in the Iron Bird, position data must be captured for the parameters pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle. Additionally, Natilus requires pilot input force data for pitch, roll, and yaw to verify human factors while “Hardware-in-the-Loop” testing with the Iron Bird control column.
This proposed electrical system shall mechanically integrate with the control column (and its peripherals) and digitally integrate with MATLAB and X-Plane simulators. It shall reduce the time and development costs for the first flight plane by providing only the necessary parameters for the simulation of the control surface responses to control column inputs while remaining easy to install, modify, and test. Additionally, this test system will become the foundation for the sensor system in the eventual production-scale aircraft. By utilizing a system that is perfectly compatible with the Natilus aircraft now — as it is being designed — the probability of issues arising with precision or integration bugs as the vehicle moves into production is reduced. Eliminating such threats to schedule at the prototyping stage will protect the product delivery date that Natilus has set for themselves and the other stakeholders
Reservoir System for Tissue-on-a-Chip
Get PDFDr. Christopher Heylman’s research laboratory needs an improved reservoir system for their microfluidic device that reduces flow variance, failures, and the physical footprint. Current microfluidic devices have various types of reservoir systems, including vials, 96-well plates, and other cylindrical wells. Several patents and standards must be considered when designing the reservoir system. To develop a prototype the following design process was used: product discovery, project planning, product definition, conceptual design, product development. Dr. Heylman expressed various customer requirements including increased time between cell media changes, reduced leaks and blockages, and reduced flow variance. These were then translated into engineering requirements. Target values were set for these engineering requirements based on the current microfluidic device, other reservoir systems, and other information. Timelines, deadlines, and milestones were outlined for the tasks in each step of the design process. A morphology was used to create concept sketches for our project and a Pugh Matrix was used to evaluate the best concept. A CAD model was created for our concept and fluids calculations were performed to evaluate if the concept would meet the fluidic requirements. A COMSOL model was created to simulate fluid flow through the microfluidic chip and a failure modes and effects analysis was performed. Our CAD model was modified for our final design and detailed drawings were created. Dimensioning, costs, and material selection for our design are discussed, as well as manufacturing instructions and detailed test protocols. Test criteria included 2D surface area, device chamber dimensions, reservoir diameter, volume, devices without leaks, channels with flow, sterilizability, opacity (compared to old device), cell viability, time between media changes, flow velocity, flow velocity standard deviation, and cost. After analyzing the testing results, it was determined at all engineering specifications were met except for devices without leaks and channels with flow. After an explanation of how to use the platform, interpretations from testing were discussed as well as future directions for the project
Maintaining Institutional Memory for Non-commercial College Radio Fundraising
Get PDFThis paper outlines how to run a non-commercial, non-profit radio station fundraising program, commonly called a Pledge Drive. Cal Poly’s radio station, KCPR 91.3, hosts an annual Pledge Drive in the spring. KCPR staff, specifically the fundraising manager and marketing director, lead the KCPR team in raising funds that support our operations for the upcoming year. This paper will detail the strengths of past fundraising drives and potential improvements to fundraising drives in the future while addressing the question of: How do college radio stations create continuity in non-commercial radio fundraising to ensure success amid changing economic conditions and the inevitable transfer of leadership
Portable Drinking Water Cooler and Dispenser
Get PDFThis document serves as the comprehensive report for the testing and building for the Portable Water-Cooling System by team AquaCool. Team AquaCool is comprised of four mechanical engineers with a passion to help the agricultural industry in their efforts to keep the health of the workers at their peak. The four engineers who partook in helping the farm workers are as follows: Caleb F. Parham, Erik Torres, Gustavo Hernandez-Lerena, and Terry Leung. To reduce the risk of heatstroke and other unwanted effects from the harsh working conditions during summer, a small and portable system was built to help in the efforts. With rising temperatures, ensuring workers get a liter of sub-59-degree Fahrenheit water per hour is crucial in aiding the fight for the workers’ health. In creating such a product, initial testing can be done to find the effectiveness of the system and serve as the first step in protecting all farmworkers from conditions far from perfect
The Brothers Grimm Fairytale Cookboook
Get PDFModern technology and the Internet have made cookbooks relatively obsolete. Nowadays you only see them as coffee table decoration, something to flip through but not actually use. Designing a creative and fun children’s’ cookbook based on some of the famous Brothers Grimm fairytales, will encourage kids, ages 5-12, to have some fun in the kitchen and use their imagination to whip up some incredible edibles. This opportunity creates a window for children to get excited about a book and translate what they read into the real world. Lastly, this project is important to me because it the impact experimenting in the kitchen can have on teaching creativity in the developing minds of kids. I still remember all my favorite recipes my mom let me try out and hope to do the same for someone with my own book
Wireless Energy Harvesting System
Get PDFThe modern world is built upon wireless transmission of data. The signals that carry this data travel through the air, an untapped source of power. Unreceived transmissions are dissipated into useless forms of energy when they should be reclaimed. Wireless electronics can theoretically be powered by harvesting energy from the electromagnetic signals in the wireless internet frequency band. The aim of this project is to develop a system to capture ambient energy, convert it into DC power, and store the power for later use. The product will consist of three subsystems: an antenna receiver, a rectifier and voltage-multiplier, and a power management unit. The antenna must be compact, and have the highest gain possible. The final product should be able to be mounted in any orientation for versatility. The rectifier subsystem will be matched to the receiver in order to convert the AC signal into a DC signal. The multiplier can increase the voltage to supply the power management unit (PMU). It is critical for the rectifier system to be able to operate at low power levels to effectively feed into the PMU. The power management unit will receive the amplified voltage from the rectifier and voltage-multiplier. It is crucial for the PMU to operate at low power and have the capability to output a constant DC power, similar to a battery, despite unreliable sources. Commercially available PMU’s can be programmed and implemented with the other subsystems to provide effective power management. The advantage of this simple design is the ability to be replicated without complex or proprietary methods. Once each module is tested and verified, the three will be implemented together and tested for efficient wireless energy harvesting, power storage, and ultimately to deliver power
Smart Table Top
Get PDFDungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (D&D) is a tabletop role playing game (TTRPG) with complicated mechanics and a seemingly overwhelming amount of information. D&D players are often looking for ways to more effectively track information and products that enhance their game experience. One such product is a custom miniature; players use these to track their character’s location and for the enjoyment of creating a physical representation of their imagination. Virtual Tabletops (VTT’s) were developed to make the entire experience digital. The digital nature of VTT’s make all of the game’s rules and mechanics accessible at the click of the mouse; however, it also alienates players from a physical connection to the game. The smart game board offers digital convenience while preserving the physical connection to the game. The game board wirelessly communicates with the pieces on the board to provide quick access to their specific rules and mechanics while also determining their location on the board. The board utilizes a digital display to swap between different game boards/maps. The smart game board saves time and simplifies the experience for players by displaying only the most relevant information and it enhances their experience by utilizing their custom miniatures. This makes the game more accessible to beginners, reduces risk of error for the game master and allows everyone to focus more on enjoying the game. This product could easily be adapted to accommodate any board game with pieces large enough to contain wireless communication technology. Future developments of this product could also include an automatic board setup feature if the piece has a known board layout such as chess, checkers, or monopoly
Itentifying Suitable Sites for The Rotating Safe Parking Program in San Luis Obispo
Get PDFThis report has been created with the intention of identifying a new Safe Parking location in the City of San Luis Obispo (SLO) for the Rotating Safe Parking Program. SLO currently has two Safe Parking locations, though one is being discontinued due to inadequacy of the site. The City wishes to identify a new location, or locations, that can replace this. This report came to life after coordination with the City to determine how this senior project could best support the City’s efforts to address homelessness in SLO in 2023. My work began when I identified areas in the Homelessness Response Strategic Plan (HRSP) that required further data collection. With this in mind, I approached the City of SLO’s Housing Coordinator Kyle Bell, asking about opportunities to work with the city to fill in these gaps. I brought forth my desire to see non-permanent affordable housing units placed on underutilized lots for those experiencing homelessness. This led to a more formal meeting with both Bell and Homelessness Response Manager Daisy Wiberg, where I reiterated these points and expressed openness to help in other avenues. After the conclusion of that meeting, it was determined that the most effective way I could address my goals within the City’s agenda was to identify potential sites within the city for the Rotating Safe Parking Program
Graphite: Open Source 2D Graphics Editor
Get PDFGraphite is an open source 2D graphics editor aiming to provide a useful alternative to the Adobe product suite while integrating modern ideas from research and industry, including a node-based procedural approach that makes the design process fully non-destructive. Tools from the VFX and gamedev industry like Nuke, Houdini, and Substance Designer have proven the power and flexibility of node-based systems, but they are each lacking in their user experience because of the deep level of complexity that is not abstracted into simpler concepts for users (Adobe Systems, SideFX, The Foundry Visionmongers Ltd., n.d.). Graphite puts the node-based core into a traditional tool-based shell, making it more accessible and familiar to experienced 2D designers and artists as well as new users. These tools, which form an abstraction around the node graph concepts, act much like existing graphics editors. One aspect of tool-based editing is the snapping system that can constrain artwork manipulations to align with other layers, geometry, or a grid. Graphite seeks to improve upon the user experience of many core tools and workflows in areas neglected by traditional editing software, and snapping systems are one prime example of a common, “boring” feature where pain points and potential improvements are hidden in plain sight. Graphite’s goal is to fundamentally improve upon the user experience of snapping so artists and designers can benefit from a more useful way to make pixel-perfect artwork
Building Up Cal Poly Global Brigades Student Group: Reflections on Designing and Implementing One Undergraduate-Led Community Info Session
Get PDFIntro: Global Brigades, an international non-profit organization, trains college students and other pre-professionals in community-based health promotion by mobilizing community service trips around the world, which are taught and led by local community groups. Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group was founded in 2018, and thus far, they have carried out three annual, medically-focused brigades to Honduras (two in-person, one virtual).
Purpose: The aim of this report is to present the findings of one experiential senior project to promote Cal Poly’s Global Brigades student group[1] (conducted January to March 2023).
Methods: The student designed material for an interactive info session on the student group, promoted the event, and appraised the info session’s efficacy to (a) teach what Global Brigades is, (b) educate on the public health state of Honduras, and (c) spur interest to join the next Cal Poly brigade to Honduras (Summer 2023). Recruitment efforts occurred in partnership with campus groups and advising services that brigade members were involved with.
Results: The student delivered two 50-minute info sessions to a total of 16 people, 10 of whom were not previously involved with Global Brigades. A review of open-ended, pre-post info session questionnaire responses showed that the sessions were successful in meeting the project aims. Additionally, this year’s brigade (June 2023) will be the largest in-person brigade that the student group has had to date, with 15 students registered. The project outcomes are discussed and interpreted to support future work that may build upon the present research.
Conclusion: Through this experiential senior project, the student achieved university and department senior project learning objectives, as well as achieved program learning objectives for the Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health.
[1] Cal Poly Global Brigade’s student group is not a formally registered club, but a student-led initiative recognized by Global Brigades’ international organization as an affiliate program